Note to Young Readers: This post may be a little R-Rated, just because of the subject matter. I'll be addressing the issue of gay marriage, so please check with parents about reading on.
On some articles, Yahoo gives readers the option to post comments. So, I did. Weird thing is that, as I was writing, I felt a strange hesitance...a sense of "Oh, this is going to ruffle some feathers, maybe I shouldn't." But feeling that makes me mad. It shows just how pervasive the culture's influence has been on me and largely on Christianity as well. Liberals and activists have so "normalized" things like homosexuality that Christians get timid. We become afraid to express our opinions for fear of being called a bigot or worse. Well, forget that. Christ told us we should expect to be insulted for His name. Does that mean we go hate on people? No, of course not. We LOVE people. ALL people. But we don't condone sin--not our sin or others. And we certainly don't sit back and allow sin to be called good.
So, for what it's worth, here's my take on the Yahoo article:
It's completely appropriate that a comedian officiates this same sex marriage because it's a joke. It's a sham and a mockery of a pure and beautiful thing between one man and one woman. Look at it this way: from the beginning of the cultural practice of marriage it has ALWAYS been defined as one man and one woman, as is natural and fitting. Male and Female we have been created. No way around that. (Even if you don't believe in Creator, Created, or Creation). Humans have two sexes: Male and Female. The way the penis is shaped, the way it works, the way it's stimulated is completely in concert with the way the vagina is shaped, the way it works, and the way it is stimulated. Ask any doctor, nurse, or expert in human physiology. You'll see a myriad of amazing features of male and female anatomy and why they work the way they do. Whether you believe in God or not, you have to delude yourself not to believe that Male and Female were made, designed, evolved FOR EACH OTHER. And rational people had always understood this, and so marriage was appropriately used as a term for a ceremonial (and spiritual) union between man and woman.
If gay men or women want a type of union, fine. I don't agree with you. I don't think it's right. But I'm not naive to think that they won't find some way to have a union. Thing is: don't call it marriage. The only reason the word "marriage" is appealing to you is that you want what you do to be equal to what men and women do. You want what you do to be recognized in the same way. But it can never be equal to what men and women do because men and women are different. It can never be recognized in the same way because it is NOT the same thing. Have a union. But call it something else and get over the language barrier. For if words are to have any meaning at all, there needs to be a definition. And as long as the word marriage has been used in human history it's been defined as male united with female.
And let's not have any of this nonsense, playground name-calling. Bigot, homophobe, and the like. This name-calling is what people do when they run out of intellect. They hope to bludgeon those they disagree with into silence. I could just as easy call you a bigot for not accepting my views on sexuality. I might even go so far as to call you a "Christo-phobe." Maybe I should...what with the way some people react when you mention God or, heaven forbid, Jesus. When I speak out against the practice of homosexuality it is no more "hate-speech" than someone who disagrees with your politics or *gasp* your opinion of a sports team. You may be a rabid Dallas Cowboy fan and think me a barbarian for liking the Redskins, but when I diss the 'Boys, you wouldn't likely call it hate speech. It's a difference of opinion and/or preference. So dispense with the name-calling and start offering rational, researched, evidential responses.
And on that note, I want to make clear that, as a Christian, I cannot support or condone sin of any kind. The scriptures make it clear that homosexuality is one kind of sin, just as I mentioned before: sex outside of marriage, incest, adultery, etc. But please know, I understand the depth of love that all kinds of people can have for each other. The Bible talks clearly of friends who are closer than brothers. And there are men I love with powerful intensity. But the problem begins when brotherly love converts to lust and sexual behavior. That perverts actual love into something deviant. No matter how many people want it or "feel it" it's just not right. But here's the thing: if Jesus came today instead of 2000 years back, I bet He'd hang out with gays in much the same way as he did the tax collectors, prostitutes, and Samaritans. He would flock to those who recognized their need for love and relationship, and HE would give them the water that cures their thirst forever.
16 comments:
Thank you for posting this! I agree wholeheartedly and have had many similar thoughts before (though I haven't taken the time to put them into words.)
Amen. This post was so well written and well thought-out that I really don't feel like I can contribute anything than just to say 'right on'. I tend to struggle with the opposite of your inclination to avoid ruffling feathers, though. I'll be honest, I love a good knock-down drag-out. Something about the Scottish/Hillbilly ancestry, I guess, it's just in my blood. So I have to remind myself to speak out in love, rather than just for the sake of starting a good brawl. : )
I so totally agree with you, Sir Batson. A lot of people i know should read this post, and i will definately pass on the link. Thank you SO MUCH for writing!
I believe that you expressed yourself beautifully and eloquently. I too struggle with "ruffling feathers" and prefer to stay away from political and religious debates - more because I'm afraid my blood pressure will spike and I will wind up not being a very good witness for our Lord & Saviour.
I struggle with this issue...I don't like it - something feels fundamentally wrong to me when someone says "gay marriage". However, I also wonder how homosexuality can be a choice. Who would choose to be ostracized by their family, and why would someone choose to be called a *insert gay insult and derogatory phrase here*. Actually - best not to get me started on the things I don't understand. I'm just grateful that I don't have to, we serve a God big enough to handle it all in His perfect wisdom and I don't have to understand.
I've said all that to say this: You, with your kind, sincere, firm, and loving words have clearly illustrated what I never could have.
Mm, well put. The world needs to hear this.
~SOTK~
That was the best thing I've ever read on the subject. And probably will always be.
Thanks, dear brother in Christ. Amen, amen, amen.
And you ended your thoughts perfectly. Really, you did. The Lord gave you the grace to be firm in your beliefs and yet still shine His love and grace through it.
Thank you for sharing.
Amen.
This came at such a good time. At my school, the new movement is gay straight alliance. Sometimes I feel that everyone but me thinks it's okay. Because of this, speaking out would make me the most hated person at school. Thank you so much for allowing God to speak through you. These words have given me courage to speak out.
I guess I should end with "Never alone" :)
If only more people who believed this would speak up. . . Well said, I agree completely.
~Elizabeth
I don't have much more to add to this, but I had to say: THANK YOU. This is exactly what I have been trying to get out in words, but have not been able to do so. Very thought-out and well put together.
I agree with most of what you say, but I would also suggest that there is something deeper here. I am a straight man. Jesus has been my Lord and Savior for 35 years. Before we were divorced, my wife and I lead a ministry to people desiring change from homosexuality. And from that experience, I learned a few things. First, the label of homophobe is accurate for a males in the church. At least it was for me. When I first picked up someone at the airport who came to our church to be part of a witness team (long before we became involved in the ministry), my first thought waa "What if he is attracted to me?" I was afraid. Having been involved in mens groups as well for about 17 years, I can say that I was not alone.
The second thing that I can say is that in all cases that we saw, people involved in homosexuality had normal family attachments, sexualized at a young age, usually through rape and incest. Confusion, confusion about sexuality, and even about marriage is the norm. I can say that there are some people how had to be in a lot of denial about the scripture which talks about those who cause a young one to sin. Although, especially women involved in homosexuality claim that they chose to be homosexual, usually, there is some abuse at a young age that made men not "safe".
Marriage has always stood for commitment, openness and honesty before witnesses, and a coming physical and spiritual union. I understand your frustration. Marriage is used so beautifully in scripture. And good marriages are beautiful miracles. What same sex marriages are can not be compared.
But as with most things, God asks us to take the log out of our own eyes. The levels of divorce in the church says that a lot of Christians aren't really married, even though there is the document and the pictures at the church. Addictions, sin, abuse, and ultimately breakup all point to the fact that there aren't nearly as many Christians living the example we are given by the grace of God. And I put myself in that number.
I think that we can learn lessons from the bank tellers and Francis of Assisi here. Bank tellers aren't given counterfeits to study to distinguish them from the real thing. They are just trained by handling lots of the real thing. Francis of Assisi said "Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words."
Your words are powerful, and contain a lot of truth. What is needed for people to understand what is true marriage, and what is counterfeit is to see a lot of true marriages in the church. I am not saying that marriages need to be perfect, or that there aren't good reasons to divorce, there are, but usually they are because one person chose to not live in the true understanding of marriage.
God bless,
Jim
Jim, thanks for offering a healthy dose of perspective. I agree that Christians need to attend to their marriages and clean their own houses. Far too many planks, as you said. But while I appreciate your clarification on the term homophobe and agree that some Christians might wear that title appropriately, I know there are a great many Christians who are not that way at all. I certainly respect your experience. And thanks very much for posting here.
Thank you for putting this up I totally agree with you. I think that it is really disgusting that people do these things. But of course God is a merciful God and can forgive anyone. I don't know how He does it but He is really amazing!
It is so true!!!
I`m 14 and as I get older I notice more and more that homosexuality is becoming a part of society and people are excepting it. It disgusts me when I hear about gay "marriage" on the radio and how some people actually admire those who become homosexual.
Whenever I hear or read things about homosexuality I get sick. I can't believe that people now a-days call it marriage! I mean come on! It's not marriage unless it is between a man and a woman. God created man to join with a woman and become one! Not, a man and a man, or vise-versa. My dad read a book by C.S. Lewis and it said a similar thing about marriage. It said that homosexuality was around and that it shouldn't be called marriage. Thank you for writing this, I wish I could send this to the world.
This makes me sick. Sorry, Mr. Batson, but I comoletely disagree. What is wrong with being gay? Gays are born with something different in their brain, something that makes them attracted to the same sex. To suggest that there's something wrong with these people is, in my mind, completely ridiculous. I understand that maybe marriage must be between a man and a woman, but this is not right. Maybe it is a sin to be homosexual. But is that what you are going to say? That people that are different than you are worse? Who cares if someone isn't like you, isn't heterosexual? Why can't people just leave other people alone?
Reading that it makes people sick to think about gay marriage is truly sad, sad that they can't leave it be. It's the way people are, and it's not going to change.
I really don't understand this. Is your entire life governed by the bible? Are you simply the puppet of the written word, to kill or shun those that are different or against this? Explain yourself, please.
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